5.26.2017

Our Divine Calling || Guest Post by Joshua

Our Divine Calling

Have you ever thought, “If only I had more money, fame, or power, I could get a lot more done for Christ?” It can be a tempting thought because we can use all of these things for good. However, God doesn't need us to have any of these things to accomplish great things for Him. None of us needs to have the influence of Michael Jordan or Muhammed Ali in order to serve Christ. In fact, God delights in using the weak and foolish things of the world for his glory (I Corinthians 1:26-31).

The Bible records the story of a man who had little money, social standing, or power, yet he was called by Christ the greatest man to have ever lived (Matthew 11:11).

Who was this man? What was the purpose of his ministry? And how can learn from His life?

His name was John the Baptist, and Luke 3:1-2 tells us this about him: “Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Phillip tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitus, and Lysanius the tetrarch of Abiline, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.”

Form Pilate to Herod, the Jews were governed by godless leaders, and this is the world that John lived in. In this environment, surely the high priests would have set the example. Yet sadly, Annas and Caiaphas, the two men who should have been Israel's spiritual leaders, were two of the most vehement opponents of Christ's ministry. One might have expected change to come from the political regime or the religious leaders, but God bypassed those institutions and people to speak to a rough wilderness man. Though John was not a priest or a king, John left behind a greater legacy than any of the religious or political leaders of his day. Why? John left a lasting mark because he was faithful to his calling.

Who was this man we know as John the Baptist? Though son of the priest Zacharias, John the Baptist lived in the wilderness, wearing a garment of camel's hair and subsisting on locust and wild honey (Matthew 4:4). John was an unconventional man who probably would not have been well-accepted in our day.

What was the purpose of John's ministry? His purpose was “to prepare the way of the Lord (Isaiah 40:3).” Unlike the religious rulers who sought only to glorify themselves, John laser-focused his ministry on glorifying Christ. John called Jesus “preferred before me,” stating that even he was not worthy to loose the latchet of Jesus' shoes (John 1:27). John had a great following and he could have used that following for his own benefit, but instead he used his platform to point others to Christ. In the face of rejection by the religious and political establishment of his day, John never wavered, but continued to speak the truth–though it would cost him his life.

John the Baptist was a humble man whose sole purpose in life was to point others to Christ. How can we follow his example today? We MUST RECOGNIZE and EMBRACE our divine calling.

What is our calling? I Peter 2:9 describes our mission in this way: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” That's our calling: to SHOW FORTH His praises. If we know Him, we have a responsibility to make Him known. Do you recognize that calling? And if so, have you embraced it?

Those who make an eternal difference on this earth are not those who have the greatest possessions, popularity, or power; those who leave their mark on this world are those who are faithful to their calling.

Do you know your calling? Are you faithful to that calling?

As children of the king, let us not seek to live for the applause of men, but let us seek to live for the glory of God.

Remember, God is not searching for people who are influential: He is looking for people who will simply be faithful. John the Baptist left a lasting impact because he lived a life focused on glorifying Christ. May we be motivated to always do the same. {Written by Joshua-20}

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